Prior art skin packaging machines have included a base, at least two vertical posts at the rear corners of the base which support an oven which heats the skin packaging film. The posts also contain two drive transmissions which are connected to the clamp or frame which carries the film up to the oven for the purpose of heating it and which carries the film down upon the base for the purpose of placing it across the article to be skin packed. The transmission mechanism can be a pair of pneumatic piston and cylinder combinations or, alternatively, it can be a pair of chain drives passing over upper and lower motor-driven sprockets in each supporting post.